be he of the Lord, who
hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead." And Naomi
said unto her, "The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next
kinsmen."

And Ruth the Moabitess said, "He said unto me also, 'Thou shalt keep
fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.'"

And Naomi said unto Ruth, her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter,
that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other
field."

So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley
harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother-in-law.

III

Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said unto Ruth, "My daughter, shall I not
seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now is not Boaz
of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold he winnoweth barley
to-night in the threshing floor. Wash thyself, therefore, and anoint
thee, and put thy raiment upon thee and get thee down to the floor, and
he will tell thee what to do."

And Ruth said, "All that thou sayest unto me, that will I do."

Therefore went she down unto the threshing floor and did according to
all that her mother-in-law bade her. And Boaz saw her and loved her and
asked her, "Who art thou?"

She answered, "I am Ruth, thy handmaid."

And Boaz said, "Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter, and fear not,
for all the city of my people doth know thou art a virtuous woman. And
now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit, there is a kinsman
nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning that if
he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the
kinsman's part. But if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee,
then will I do the part of the kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth.
Bring now the vail that thou hast upon thee and hold it."

And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on
her, and she returned into the city.

When now she came to her mother, Naomi asked, "Who art thou?" And Ruth
told her all that the man had said and done, and said, "These six
measures of barley gave he me, for he said to me, 'Go not empty unto thy
mother-in-law.'"

Then said Naomi, "Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter
will fall; for the man will not be in rest until he have finished the
thing this day."

IV

Then went Boaz up to the gate and sat him down there; and, behold, the
kinsman of whom Boaz spoke, came by; unto whom